apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Elizabeth started by freshening up her planters with leftover paint from other projects. The little metal basket was a free sidewalk find, and the larger planter came from Ikea; she painted that with the turquoise she had used for the laundry room (also worth a look!). Lighting is key in any outdoor room, and the candle lanterns Elizabeth chose from West Elm should be very pretty on a warm night.

Because the deck is visible through French doors from inside, Elizabeth wanted to add pieces that were fun to look at—hence the wonderful greyhound and the Anthropologie owl.

Here's what the greyhound looked like before! She found him on the clearance shelf at HomeGoods.

Visit Elizabeth's blog or her Flickr stream for tons more inspiration.

As summer approaches, what are your plans for sprucing up your own outdoor space?